[geeks] KVM for Sun Sparc Servers with USB keyboards

[Lionel Peterson]

On May 6, 2009, at 12:11 AM, "Jonathan C. Patschke"  
<jp at celestrion.net> wrote:

> On Tue, 5 May 2009, Sridhar Ayengar wrote:
>
>> I can't bring much physical strength to bear in my own defense.   
>> Having
>> me, myself, defending my own property is a situation in which I would
>> never want to be in.  I would need help.
>
> Why does that help have to come from an organization that forcibly  
> takes
> money from you without giving you option of shopping around?

You can "shop around", you can leave or reform Gov't, that either is  
hard does not make them impossible choices.

>
>> I live in a safe neighborhood.  I don't trust my neighbors to keep my
>> house safe.  They have their own asses to worry about.  If my  
>> neighbors
>> (and I) were to get organized into a group to provide for mutual
>> defense, then you're already starting to talk about a government.
>
> Not necessarily.  "We're going to look out for each other" is a worlds
> apart from what we have now.

Collective security is a primary responsibility of government (and La  
Cosa Nostra).

>
>> I don't believe in the death penalty.  I don't believe in communal
>> incarceration.  I don't believe in wars taken for offensive or
>> preemptive reasons.  However, many people around me do, and there  
>> isn't
>> a whole lot I can do to convince them of what I perceive as their  
>> error.
>
> But, if you don't agree with it, why should you be forced to fund  
> it?  If
> they feel -so strongly- for those sorts of things, surely they would  
> be
> willing to fund them, right?

Tax obligations are not a chinese menu, if it were there'd be no need  
for the Congress (or other government representatives), policy decions  
would be made based on the funding (or lack of funding) from the  
citizens. Based on my sketchy education, that sounds like a true  
democracy, as opposed to the republic form of government we currently  
enjoy here in the US of A.

>
>> Anarchy isn't the answer because people are fundamentally assholes.
>
> And, somehow this magical construct called government prevents  
> assholes
> from running the ship over those of us who don't have the political  
> clout
> to hold office?

Anarchy isn't a destination, it is an intermediate step (or state, in  
computer term) between answers.

>
>> Setting up a government is just a way to ensure that, if one asshole
>> gets too much power, all of the other assholes will beat him back  
>> down.
>
> How's that working for us?  Really?

I believe in the electoral process as it is currently is implemented  
here in the US of A, apparently you want more frequent  
sampling(election).

>
> All the laws Bush broke ceased to become his problem when Obama got  
> into
> office.  Suddenly, the Democrats were talking about amnesty for Bush's
> wiretapping because it was their guy who was in the hot seat for it.

The actions of one leader, or a handfull of leaders, only proves the  
values of those leaders at the time of their leadership. For every US  
President you would consider a failure, I could probably find another  
you thought got it right - what would that prove?

>
> Several reports I heard about the first round of bailouts were that  
> 90% of
> those calling their "representatives" were firmly against any bailout
> whatsoever.  Yet, it passed.  And, really, where did that get us?

If 90% of the people that spoke to Al Gore told him Global Warming was  
wrong, would he change his position? Leaders lead, and take  
responsibility for their actions - they don't simply follow popularity  
polls.

Remember the dust-up when George W. wouldn't answer the question what  
mistakes have you made (in his first term?), and his answer was I made  
the best decision I could, at the time, based on the information  
available to me at the time. That is leadership. The press piloried  
him for saying he feels he made no mistakes - they were interested in  
the perspective of hindsight, a luxury a leader doesn't have when  
making a decision.

>
> Chrysler's in bankruptcy, the dollar's worth less, and, if anything,  
> we're
> further down the path of recession.
>
> Who's going to take that one on the chin?
>
> We are.

We got the government we deserve, don't like it change it - your  
greatest hurdles will likely be the victims of public education and  
general apathy on the part of the citizenry.

Lionel